On July 4th Maureen
Healy of Cherryfield and I traveled by bus to Boston where we stayed with my
daughter and her family overnight. We arrived at the Logan Airport very early
on July 5 to fly to Seattle, Washington on our way to Juneau, Alaska. On our
plane trip to Seattle, we sat next to a gentleman who told us he and his wife
were both teachers and had just returned from France on a month long vacation.
They were on their way home to California. On our next leg of our journey we
talked with a man who was a cinema photographer from Mass. He was headed inland
in Alaska for a five week fishing trip while his wife was heading to Bar Harbor
for her vacation. On this trip there were quite a few that were going fishing
in Alaska.
On July 6th we went into Juneau
and first checked out some of the tourist traps, the stores with all of the
t-shirts and things to buy while we waited for our trip on the Tram to the
mountain to see the view and what a view that was. We could see the three
cruise ships that had come in and all of the people that were going on the
tours to see the area. One couple on the Tramway that I spoke with was from
Wisconsin and they told me they were having a great time and their next
stop was another port in Alaska.
Once we arrived at the spot
where we could get off the Tramway, Maureen, Kathy and I and our guide
Mark Insteness walked the Alpine Loop Trail which was .5 mile. Mark told
us in the early 1900’s the entire mountain had been cut off and this was the
new growth of trees. A lot of the trees had weird shapes as they looped around
and up and over others. On some of the trees you might find carvings that were
done many years ago by the natives. I did fine one at the beginning that I took
a picture of. In the brochure it says that the carvings found on trees along
the Alpine Loop Trail are examples of an ancient custom of the Tlingit people
of Southeast Alaska. The one that I saw is called The Messenger or Sentry and symbolizes
the one who watches for the approach of visitors and delivers the message to
the caretaker.
Mark told me that this was a mining town in
the 1800‘s and there were places now closed off of the openings to the mine.
From there we ventured down the mountain and to the Hanger
Restaurant for our lunch where I had tacos, one of salmon, cod and halibut
which was a good way to taste all of the fish in one meal. Here we
could see Mount Jumbo and Mount Roberts and a bird’s eye view of the mouth of
the Taku River and the cruise ships that were docked there. The seaplane
hangar is a landmark in aviation history we were told. Famous pilots such as
will Rogers used to land their aircraft in front of the Hangar during their
great northern expeditions. The museum has enlarged historic photos on the
walls at the restaurant.
After our meal we venture to the
Red Dog Tavern to enjoy a drink and listen to the entertainment. Here we could
see many things of the area posted on the walls and ceilings. One item was the
pistol that Wyatt Earp, the notorious gunfighter, left behind by accident as
his ship S.S. Senator was leaving before he was done having his drink. The
story goes that he just made the ship by jumping onto it as it was pulling out
of the dock heading for Nome.
After we left here Mark took us
to the Last Chance Mining Museum and Historical Park. This Last Chance Mining
Museum is the only historic mining building open to the public from Juneau’s
Gold Rush era. The museum has the world’s largest Ingersoll-Rand air
compressor, historic mining tools and equipment, minerals display, and the three
dimensional “Glass Map”.
When we arrived at the Park we walked up the mountain to
the museum and on our way we saw folks panning for gold in the river bed as wet
we crossed over a walking bridge. While walking through the museum I spoke with
a couple of folks, and found out that they were from the Portland area of
Maine. The young fellow was in the coast guard in Alaska and had invited his
grandfather to come for a visit with him.
On July 7th, Sunday, we drove to
the ski resort Eaglecrest in Juneau, a small ski slope maybe about like Hermon
Mountain, Maine, where we could have done the zip line. We decided this was not
a good day to do that so we headed over to see the Mendenhall Glacier and was
able to take some nice pictures of it. There were some ice bergs broken off of
it in the water. To the left of the glacier was a nice size water fall
coming down the mountain. I went down and put my hand in the water, it
didn't feel too cold to me, it was not as cold as the ocean in Addison but then
again I did not get into it to swim. I think they frown on that. We hit the
grocery store, a couple of thrift shops, couple of stores at their malls as
Maureen was looking for something, then we went to Cosco to do some grocery
shopping. One shop we went into I found a good deal on a small backpack that I
wanted as it was smaller than the one I traveled with more of a pocket
book and it was all leather. Kathy said it was a good deal as it would of been
quite expensive to buy outright I guess. After we had our meal I decided to go
and sit on the deck to enjoy the weather as the sun was out. Here I heard the
birds, squirrels and planes flying overhead. .A short hair pointer came up the
driveway and checked me out. The dog probably belonged to the people next door
as they were out and about, they must have had an outdoor fire going as I could
see the smoke through the trees. No bugs here so far but I understand there
will be some in Haines. Maureen is really tired she is not yet on Alaskan time.
I just keep going and going. The temperature here is 63 just the right kind of
weather to enjoy. I pity the ones that have been getting the higher
temperatures in Maine and Boston. LOL....Wish you all were here but can't say I
am sorry you’re not! LOL....Yes the good life is setting here at 5 PM and
soaking up the Alaskan sun. Awesome, who would have thought I would ever come
here. Now I wonder where the next adventure will take me. Catch you all on
FACEBOOK.
On Monday July 8, we went into
town and met up with Mark Insteness to go on a tour bus that he was doing that
day. We first traveled to the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery where we saw lots of
salmon in the channel and learned more about the salmon from the tour guide. We
went inside and viewed aquariums and touch tanks in which over 150 different
species of local marine-life reside. Our next stop on the tour was the Glacier
Gardens a fifty acre Alaskan botanical garden, where we saw trees that were
turned upside down and planted with flowers on top of the roots. We
traveled into the heart of the Tongass National Rainforest to view breathtaking
views of the Juneau area from 580 feet up Thunder Mountain. The visitor center here
had beautiful display of hanging flowers.
The tour then continued to the Mendenhall Glacier and as
we had been there the previous day we went inside the visitor center and
watched the movie that showed all about the glacier. We also saw a display of
animals and birds and information on the history of the glacier.
Tuesday July 9 came and we will
travel by ferry to Haines, I am told that it will take about four and half
hours on the ferry to get there. We will leave about 6 a.m. hopefully the sun
will shine for us, if not it will be another adventure for us.
On Tuesday July 9th.we traveled
four and half hours to Haines on the M/V Malaspina Ferry, a smaller version of
a cruise ship. Haines lies halfway down the east side of the long, narrow
Chilkat Peninsula and it says in my guide book that it offers the best of
small-town America life, it’s encircled by glaciated mountain peaks, forested
hills, and pristine waters. I n Haines is the historical home of the Chilkat
Tlingit, whose name for the area was Dei Shu (“End of the Trail”) this was the
sight of a summer fish camp. Klukwan
Tlingit were keepers of important trade routes to the Canadian interior and as
far south as Oregon.
This morning we found that a
bear had gotten the back of the car open and got some of the food that was
already packed in the car. Our loss, the bear gain. This is a reminder to keep
the food out of the car and pack it in just before you leave in the
morning.
We are staying at the K. J. Tucker’s Farm, B & B at
26 Mile Haines Highway in a little cabin. Everyone here in Haines uses the mile
post as their directions to where they live so I am told.
On Wednesday, July 10, we drove into the town of Haines
where I was dropped off to wander by myself as Maureen needed to see a doctor for
a sinus infection. My first stop was at the American Bald Eagle Museum
where I saw lots of local wildlife on display such as: eagles, hawks, ravens,
moose, black tail deer, birds of the area, wolf eels, bears and other local
animals. I then went to the Sheldon Museum where a collection of items showing
the culture of the Chilkat Valley were on display. From here I walked to
the shops on Main Street for some window shopping and came upon the Hammer
Museum where over 1600 hammers are on display; who would of thought that there
were so many different kinds of hammers and would make a museum out of them.
The library was next on my list
where I could post on Facebook what I had been doing; I also was able to use
the cell phone and call home to connect with my family.
On Thursday, July 11, I
again went into Haines by myself as Maureen was still under the weather and
chose to rest up back at the cabin. On my way in I stopped at several
turn outs on the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve to take pictures of bald eagles
that I saw along the river. Once I got into town I took a history walking tour
of Fort William H Seward. Here a brochure told me that during World Wars I and
II the Fort was a training base for Alaska recruits and during the Second World
War it was a rest and recreation center for troops who served in the North
Pacific Theater. At the end of the war in 1940 it was declared surplus property
and was decommissioned. This hurt the economy in Haines after catering to the
Army for 42 years. After leaving the Fort I took a ride out of town and saw a
couple of glaciers from the road going to the state park.
I had lunch at a health food
store nearby and again went to the library to check my emails and to make my
calls home before I returned to the cabin.
The weather here has been around
65, sunny and breezy, really nice weather for my vacation.
On Friday,
July 12, 2013 we decided to take a ride, 136 miles to Haines Junction in the
Yukon Territory where we traveled through British Columbia and into Yukon
Territory. The mountains were majestic to see and we stopped at several places
to take photos of the scenery. We saw two bears on our trip to Haines Junction
and after having lunch at K.P.I Restaurant we visited the Visitor Center where
there were many items of the area on display. On this trip we did not see much
traffic, I think we met three vehicles on our way to the Junction and on
the way back we might have seen five more traveling the road we were on.
On Saturday July 13, 2013 Maureen and I went into Haines so
that Maureen could see more of the area and shop at a few stores. We stopped at
first at the Fair Grounds and saw the buildings that were part of the props for
the White Fang movie.
The first shop was a yarn store
and the owner was from Appleton, Maine and now lived in Haines, Alaska. After
chatting with her I ventured to the Farmers Market where I chatted with two
other ladies that were from Maine as well. One had gone to the College of
Atlantic in Bar Harbor and met her future husband there who was from Haines and
the other one was from southern Maine and she now lives in Haines as well. Isn’t
it a small world to meet up with more Maine folks on my travels.
Sunday, July 14, was a catch up
day for us, relaxing in the cabin, reading and watching movies.
On Monday morning, July 15, we drove
to Mosquito Lake to check out that area. We saw a lot of homes that were are up
for sale as well as a lot of new buildings being built. The lake area was
beautiful and we were glad to find it so close to where we were staying.
Afterwards we drove to a unique rundown building alongside the road with the
sign Honeymoon Hotel on it to take photos of it. Just a little ways from there we saw the phone
booth that was fixed up as a joke saying this was the Last Stop to call from
and took more photos. The phone booth had superman inside and on the tree next
to it had different phones placed on it.
I was told that this was a
favorite place for tourist to stop and take pictures just like I did.
On Tuesday, July 16, 2013, we
left about 7:45 a.m. from the cabin and caught the Fast Ferry at 9 am to go to
Skagway. We arrived in Skagway about 10:45 and walked into town with the rest
of the tourist. We played tourist and checked out the museums, visitor center,
and the tourist trap shops. We took lots of pictures of the quaint town
and walked as far as 7th avenue checking out the sights before our train trip
to the summit. On the train we saw lots of wilderness, mountains, glaciers, waterfalls
and the scenery was breath taking. We went over several bridges and thru two
tunnels in the mountain and into Canada to get to White Pass Summit. At
the top of the summit we changed sides so that the ones that were on the right
side changed over to the left side to be able to see the sights going back
down. Of course I stayed outside most of the way up so to get pictures of
everything. Going down I sat and viewed through the window by my seat. When we
arrived back at the station, we had about an hour and half to get something to
eat and check out a few of the shops to see if we had to have something from them
before returning via ferry to Haines.
During the day we talked with
folks that were from Virginia, Utah, Tennessee, Washington and Mexico, they
were either off the cruise ships or traveling with their own camper.
We found a lot of the shop
workers were actually from other states, as they come to Skagway/Haines to work
during the summer months. One young fellow said he works here for six months
out of the year, then goes back home and picks up another job for six
months.
When we arrived in Skagway, there
were four cruise ships and lots of folks in the town. We were told there
probably were at least 15,000 people in this small town with us. The shop
owners said when all the ships leave, the town shuts down till the next one
arrive.
The ferry ride was awesome going
inside the passage to Skagway where we saw hump back whales going to and from
Haines and more water falls. We also saw the area where the town of Dyea was in
the early 1800‘s which is no longer in existence there now. The weather for the
day was perfect and we returned to mile 26 to our little cabin tired but happy
that we had such a good day.
On July 17, 2013 we cleaned the
cabin and then went up to the big house to get on the internet while we could.
In the afternoon we went into Haines with Kathy as Maureen wanted to buy some
wooden bowls that came from wood off her daughter and son in laws
property. John Norton originally from New York had some wonderful
bowls at his place and we got the tour of his homestead. We enjoyed seeing how
he made his bowls from start to finish. Mr. Norton had many on display for
sale.
We have enjoyed warm weather with only a few
rain showers while here in Alaska. The temperature has been in the high 60’s to
70’s.
We
left the cabin Thursday, July 18, from Mile 26 early in the morning to check in
at the ferry at 8:30 a.m. to return to Juneau. We were going on the M/V
Matanuska, just another smaller version of a cruise ship on our return trip. We ate our lunch on board, and I checked out
the gift shop that was there. We looked for whales but did not see any but I
did see one porpoise after we left Haines in front of the ferry. We finally arrived
in Juneau and back to the house by 4:30
in the afternoon.
Later on in the evening I called
Chris Hicks who lives in Juneau, formerly of Addison and spoke with him. He was
busy with some paper work for his job but took the time to chat with me. I also
called home and spoke with family and friends that same evening.
On Friday, July 19 we all went
into town to do more shopping at the thrift shops as Kathy said that sometimes
you really can find a good bargain. Afterwards Kathy left us down by where the
cruise ships come in and we checked out all of the stores that cater to the
ships. We then came home to a nice chicken soup that Maureen had started in the
morning.
In the evening Kathy’s friend
Mark Insteness of Sitka, Alaska stopped by to wish us well on our trip home. He
was heading out on Saturday morning to go to Sitka where he will be teaching
this coming school season.
Saturday, July 20th came
and we went again into town to go to some shops and then checked out Kathy’s
school that she teachers at. This school was built in 2005 and has over 700
students in Grades 9-12, afterwards we came home and fixed supper. The temperature
in Juneau has been around 58 degrees since we arrived here with a few sprinkles
here and there.
We found this morning that a
bear had checked out Kathy’s car, it left muddy paw prints all over the car.
Thank goodness there was no food or snacks left inside or the bear would have
probably torn the car up.
In Kathy’s yard, there are a lot
of salmon berries, they taste almost like raspberries but larger. Kathy is
planning on picking them to make jam or jelly if the bears don’t get to them
first.
While visiting Haines and
talking with Chuck Carl, Kathy’s husband, we figured out that we were related. He
is only my tenth cousin twice removed to me. That’s a fact!
On my vacation I have met
folks that had come back from spending a month in Europe searching their
ancestors. It seems genealogy is a fascinating subject to the older generation
and there are a lot of folks out there that are enjoying finding out where they
came from. More and more folks are contacting me to help them in their research
of the Pleasant River area even on my vacation.
On Sunday July 21 we caught the
Plane for Settle, Washington and had a lay over till 11 o’clock to get the
plane to Boston. While we waited we had a nice meal in the airport, salmon and
chips that was from Anthony’s Restaurant. We arrived in Boston July 22 at 7:30
a.m. and I was at my daughter’s home by 8:30 giving my grandson some hugs and
kisses.
I traveled to home via bus on
Thursday after spending three days with my daughter’s family. My vacation was
now over and all that I have are the many pictures and memories that were made
on my trip. The End
Columbia
News July 28, 2013
The Columbia Fire Department will be having a
yard sale on August 10 & 11 at the fire house on Route 1. If you have
something that you want to donate contact t Mary Beth Ward at 483-9756 or JoAnne
Champney at 483-2023. I am told that you may rent table space to sell your on
wares.
On Saturday my husband and I went to the
Milbridge Days and enjoyed the lobster feed that the Milbridge Fire Department
served. I met up with Garry Strout at the Milbridge Historical Society and
chatted with him and his wife Janet. Garry and his wife were here for the
weekend for a family gathering. The Milbridge Day parade had lots of floats, it
is always nice to see a parade and I did missed the Addison Day’s parade again
this year as I was out of town.
A house fire in Columbia Saturday evening left
the family homeless. Have not heard actually what caused the fire, it is always
sad to hear this at any time of the year.
We have been working in the garden since I
arrived home in between the showers. Hopefully we will be harvesting some new
beans and peas in the coming days.
My grandson Konner Strout visited with us on
Friday during the day, this coming week he is spending some time with his
grandparents in Whitefield, Maine.
August
4th, 2013
,
Columbia News.
I just got word that Clifford Grant of Columbia has
been in the hospital, he is home now and doing better. We hope that he will be
out and about soon.
The Migrants Rakers Center in Columbia is now open for all
of the migrants that are here for the blueberry season. Blueberry season in
Washington County has begun. Harvesters with their tractors can be seen on the
barrens 24-7 raking berries. It is a sight to be seen especially at night with
the barrens lit up with the lights on these harvesters.
On Saturday, August 3rd Pricilla Kennedy,
Sylvia Joy and I, members of Alcyone Chapter #71 catered the meal for
forty four Winter Harbor High School Alumni’s in Winter Harbor.
On Saturday I had another pleasant evening with the
Morrison’s in Milbridge, catching up on the local news of the area. I heard
that my sister in law Judy Sprague of Texas will be visiting the down-east area
this coming September for a month.
I have talked with Huddy Peterson of Harrington and she
says that she is improving every day; she is still in Ellsworth and loves to
get visitors.
Molly and Dick Woodsum of Addison have had their daughter
Katie and granddaughter from Connecticut visiting with them for a few days;
while they were here they traveled to Eastport one day.
I just heard that Dawn Stubbs, Administrative Secretary,
Narraguagus High School has been appointed the Adult Education Coordinator for
the coming year. She is currently working on the Fall Adult Education course
offerings. If anyone has a course they would be interested in teaching,
please contact her. She is specifically looking for an English teacher
for the diploma program. She is looking for a variety of different
enrichment courses so if you feel you have a craft, skill, hobby or trade you
would like to share with others, think about a class that could be
offered. If you are not interested in teaching a course this semester,
but maybe in the spring, she would still like to hear from you. Contact her at
Narraguagus High School, 1611 Main Street, Harrington, Me. 04643.
The garden is coming on really slow this year; I have
started to do a little canning. Hopefully in the coming days the peas and beans
will be producing a lot more produce for me to can.
To all Eastern Star members of Alcyone #71 there will
be a meeting on Thursday August 8 at the Masonic Hall in Milbridge. The meeting
will start at 7:30 pm, all Star members are welcome to attend.
August 11, 2013
Where did the week go? The garden is coming on but it is
not producing what I had hoped for. I have spoken to a few others and they tell
me that their gardens are not producing the way they hope for too.
My grandson Konner has been here for most of the week
during the day which keeps me busy. He is always looking for ways to keep Nana
busy while he is here.
A benefit supper for Ray and Angela Northrop of Columbia
will be held on August 18 at the VFW Hall in Harrington. It will be at 5 P.M. with donations at the
door. There will be a Chinese auction as well. If you would like to help,
contact Lillis Norton at 483-6507. These folks lost their home to a fire a
couple of weeks ago.
Get well wishes go out to Oscar Hall of Columbia, who is in
Eastern Maine General Hospital as well as Brandon Beal of Addison who is in
hospital in Boston.
. The weather Friday was hard driving to Ellsworth as we had
heavy rain showers, but I still made it in to visit with Huddy Peterson at
Colliers Nursing home. Huddy and I got caught up on all of the news in the
area.
I heard this week that Hank Pottle formerly of Centerville
has passed away; he had not been too good lately.
Maureen Healy formerly of Columbia Falls, is under the
weather, I hope she will be on the mend soon.
Twenty-nine Eastern Star members enjoyed the meeting
Thursday evening in Milbridge, the oldest came from Boothbay Harbor at the age
of 91 years old.
This week I had problems with my computer so I had to call
the technician to have him help me fix it. While waiting to download a few
items, we got to talking about what I used my computer for, when I said genealogy;
he wanted to know how to go about doing his own family tree. I than began to
tell him how to do this. I got my help and he also got some information as
well.
The Columbia Fire Department had a great turnout to their
yard sale over the weekend. They had lots of nice items that folks thought that
they needed. I also went to the Union Hall Yard Sale in Columbia Falls; I found
something there that I thought I had to have.
On Sunday I had visitors from Massachusetts, Nancy Hayward,
her daughter and granddaughter dropped by. They were in the area tending to
some family lots in Addison and Harrington; another genealogy friend that I
have had contact with a number of years.
Congratulations to Jessica (Worcester) and Chris Marshall
of Veazie on their daughter Brynna Nicole, born July 22, 2013 at EMMC. She
weighed in at 7.9 pounds and was 19 ¾ inches long. Great grandparents are
Clayton and Judy Foss of Columbia Falls.
August 17, 2013
If you had ridden by the Paul’s resident on
the Ridge Road in Addison on Sunday and wondered what was going on, their
oldest son Sterling was celebrating his 40th birthday with friends
and family during the day. You could not ask for a better day to be outside
with great company.
Condolences
go out to the family of Brian Pott’s of Columbia Falls on the death of his
mother Nancy recently also to James Leighton and Dick Morang families of their
passing.
I
just heard that Priscilla Worcester of Columbia has returned to her daughter’s
home in Harrington. Aunt Priscilla has been in the nursing home in Jonesport
for a while.
Get
well wishes to Grace Peterson of Columbia, she had a trip to the hospital a few
days ago, but is now home.
In
talking with Huddy Peterson she told me that she enjoys her many visitors that
have stopped by to see her.
I was lucky to get
a chance to pick some blueberries to put in my freezer for the coming winter
this week.
On Tuesday Paulette
Veit and I visited the Jonesport Historical Society to look at the traveling
postcards of Washington County that are on display. This coming Thursday
evening August 22 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM there will be a public presentation of
the Jonesport Historical Society in the Sawyer Building at 21 Sawyer Square.
“The
Stories Behind the Glass Plate Negatives” will be presented by Kevin Johnson,
curator and photo archivist at the Penobscot Marine
Museum. Kevin will talk about the collection of 50,000 photographs of
nearly every New England town taken by the Eastern Illustrating &
Publishing Company from 1909 through the 1950s. He will also show the many
photos taken of Jonesport and Beals, and explain the stories behind them.
This is open to the public, light refreshments will be served after
the meeting.
This week I had a conversation on Face Book
from one on my son’s friends James Cook that went to school at Maine Maritime
Academy with him. It seems that he was discussing how he had enjoyed visiting
with the Strout family on weekends in down east Maine while going to the
academy. His chief engineer mentioned that he had relatives in down east Maine
and that they were Worcester’s. James then asked him if he knew us, which he
replied that he did and what a small world it was that they both knew us.
This past week Homer Morrison of Washington State
sent me some interesting information on John Puffer of Columbia and Henry Caler
of Centerville that will fit with more of
Columbia Falls Bicentennial history of the War of 1812 POWs.
Homer thought that it would be of
some interest to my readers of the experiences of Washington County residents
John Puffer and Henry Caler (full name, Jost Henry Caler) of their war
experiences as prisoners of war.
Homer writes that John Puffer
(1793-1877) was born in Canton, Massachusetts and Henry Caler (1777-1867) in
Waldoboro, Maine. Both were captured at sea by the British during the War of
1812, John in July, 1813, and Henry in June, 1814. John, a privateersman, was
captured while a prize crew member aboard a captured British packet ship.
Henry, along with a brother, a cousin and one other, was taken from a Waldoboro
fishing sloop which the British then burned.
Both were initially held on Melville Island in Halifax,
Nova Scotia, and later in Dartmoor Prison, Devonshire, England. John and Henry
were at Melville Island at different times, but their periods of confinement in
the notorious Dartmoor overlapped by approximately eight months.
Both settled in Washington County about ten years after the
war, John Puffer in Columbia and Henry Caler in Centerville. They arrived in
the same year, 1826, and lived and died in the towns where they settled. It is
not known if they knew each other while in large, overcrowded Dartmoor, but
they must have been acquainted later while living just a few miles apart in
sparsely settled Washington County.
At the ends of their long lives, brief notices of their
deaths appeared in the Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, each with mention
of their Dartmoor imprisonment. Tibbetts and Lamson’s Early Pleasant River
Families of Washington County, Maine also makes mention of this in
John Puffer’s case - but does not for Henry Caler.
From his (Homer Morrison) personal knowledge, John Puffer’s
grave in Columbia is well marked with an inscribed stone and is decorated on
patriotic holidays, appropriate recognition for an American prisoner of
war.
Homer does not know whether Henry Caler's grave receives
the same recognition, or even if its location is now known. Early
Pleasant River Families, p. 68, reports an inscribed
gravestone. However, a Find A Grave search locates only the
grave of his wife, Dorcas (Barton) Caler d. May 30, 1854, in the Richard A.
Caler family cemetery, Centerville - and provides no information on
Henry's grave. Perhaps a descendant or some other interested party would have
information on the burial location, or want to investigate and let us know if
they have any more information on Henry’s grave. Contact me at 483-4374 or
email me at roniestrout@yahoo.com
August 23, 2013
Another visitor
arrived on my door step looking for information on the Tibbetts line on
Thursday, Emily (Tibbetts) Nadeau of Minot, Maine and her husband Richard had
been in the area researching and visiting cemeteries. I was able to give her
some information on her family and also showed her some photos that I am having
made up for her.
My grandson Konner
has again been visiting me this week, we had a couple of games of monopoly and
he actually beat me.
I have been doing
a little canning this week whenever I get something from my garden. My
cucumbers are starting to produce so I hopefully will soon be putting up some
pickles.
Our grandson Asa
Washburn and his mother visited the family over the weekend. It is always nice
to see this little one as he is growing up so fast.
The next public
presentation of the Pleasant River Historical Society will be held on the third
Monday in September 16 at 7 PM in
the Addison Town Hall. Kevin Johnson,
curator and photo archivist at the Penobscot Marine Museum will be the guest
speaker.
Kevin will talk
about “The Stories Behind the Glass Plate
Negatives” the collection of 50,000 photographs of nearly every New England
town taken by the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Company from 1909
through the 1950s. He will also show the many photos taken of Addison and
explain the stories behind them. A display will be at the Addison Town Hall
during the month of September. Light refreshments will be served and all are
welcome.
Get well to Gayle
Tibbetts of the Valley Road in Columbia; she has been in the hospital in
Ellsworth this past week.
Our deepest
sympathy goes out to the family of Wesley Keeton of East Machias and to the
family of Michael Allen of Harrington.
August 28, 2013
This week I have
been helping Andrea Hartford on her family tree. Two weeks ago when I got the
information about Josh Henry Caler of Centerville I had thought I need to get
in touch with Andrea and find out if this were her side of the family. I Goggle
the name and found out yes indeed it was her family. Since then Andrea has been
bitten by the genealogy bug as she has been doing her own search on the
computer. She has found a few more generations of Calers and found that they
came from Germany and settled in Waldoboro.
I am pleased that I was some help to her.
I am sorry to hear
that Doris Joy of Addison fell on Wednesday and broke her leg. She is in the
hospital in Ellsworth, I am sure she would appreciate some cards.
John Farnsworth
scared his family this week, but he is now home from the hospital and is doing
better.
Gale Tibbetts of
the Valley Rd, Columbia has been in and out of the hospital this past week, she
is home and trying to get better. I am sure she could use some get well wishes
sent her way.
Condolences go out
to the family of Priscilla Worcester of Columbia; she passed away on Tuesday
August 27 at the home of her daughter Jennie Davis of Harrington.
The soccer games
for the little folks in the area have ended for the season, my grandson Konner
Strout and all the rest of the players were pleased to receive a trophy for their
participation.
Courtney Bagley
and her grandmother Arleta Grant of Addison spent a few days camping in
Ellsworth a week ago.
This week in
between the doctor appointments and working in the garden and preserving food
for the winter, Carroll and I took a mini vacation day on Wednesday and rode to
MDI. We stopped in Southwest Harbor to see Lee Worcester and his daughter Rain
at Smuggler's Den Campground. After we left there we drove around the Seawall,
Bass Harbor, Tremont, Pretty Marsh and then onto Jordon Pond where we enjoyed
lunch. After our lunch we headed up Cadillac Mountain. The fog was covering the
Porcupine Islands, so you couldn’t see too far in the distance. There were
quite a few folks from all over the states visiting the mountain this day.
We traveled
through the streets of Bar Harbor to view the area and then headed back home
with a stop at Jordan’s for an ice cream to finish our day out with.
On Thursday we
traveled to Eastport for another day of adventure and checked out the Chowder
House for lunch before we returned home. Summer is over and next week we will
be starting back on our jobs of transporting students to and from school.
This is the time
of year that folks need to watch out for the students waiting alongside the
road for the buses. Our schools in SAD #37 will open on September 5th.
September 8, 2013
Photo: Konner Strout at the pirate festival
in Eastport.
Photo: EDGE Workshop with bus drivers: …
Back
Row: Fred Prince, Lori-Ann Mathews, Al Moore, Mary Moore, Ronie Strout,
Darlene Stubbs, Dawn Coffin, Vicki Bailey,
Front Row: Fred Crowley, Nancy
Prince, Dave Mathews, and Pat Thaxter.
On Saturday while
I was in Ellsworth I visited with Huddy Peterson at the nursing home, she is hoping
that she will be coming home soon. Huddy is now sporting a new hairdo and
looking good, courtesy of Guy Ortega.
Don’t forget the
Motorcycle Benefit Ride for Buster the Bus on Sunday September 15 at Bayside
Shop N Save Supermarket parking lot in Milbridge. We are raising money to buy
one for the district to teach students about safety on the bus. The ride will
be from Milbridge to Lubec and back. Hope to see lots of folks out to support
this worthy cause.
Tiffany and Konner
Strout of Harrington attended the pirate’s festival Saturday in Eastport.
On Sunday
afternoon I had a nice chat with Eleanor Galen of Wesley, we got caught up on the
local news in the area. Later in the day we had a nice visit from Judy Sprague
of Texas and Peter Sawyer of Milbridge.
I heard that the
Columbia Market will be open for business at the end of this week. The place is
looking good with all of the work done on it.
To all Eastern Star
members of the area, there will be a Stated Meeting on Thursday evening at 7:30
p.m. at the Masonic Lodge in Milbridge. Before the meeting there will be an
Estarl Supper at 6:30. All members are welcome. Price $3.00.
Get well wishes
still go out to Gail Tibbetts of Columbia, she says she is improving little by
little also to Huddy Peterson of Harrington who is improving every day.
On Tuesday I attended the I-Pad workshop that
was held in Milbridge for the staff of SAD 37, and the EDGE Training workshop
on Wednesday for all bus drivers. Dave Mathews, Darlene Stubbs, Fred Crowley,
Dawn Coffin, Vicki Bailey and I did the swing course. This means that we got
hooked up and then pulled up amongst the trees where we pulled the ring and was
then left to swing through the trees like Tarzan and Jane. Afterwards we
enjoyed lunch at the EDGE Building in Cherryfield. If you get the chance check
out the EDGE Sea Coast Facebook page to see more photos of the drivers as well
as what they are up to in the schools.
I am starting a
list of craft fairs that are coming up this fall to mark my calendar; hopefully
I get the chance to attend a few. My
calendar is filling up quickly for every weekend with something that I think I
need to attend.
This just in for
news: Harrington 8th Grade is selling Fall Mums to raise money for their 8th
grade class trip. They are $6.25 ea or 2 for $12. All Harrington Elementary
kids are selling them so you have plenty of opportunities to purchase some and
decorate for fall. Let the school know if you would like any by Thursday
9-12-2013 as the orders are due on 9-13-2013. I bought four last year and they
were beautiful to decorate my deck.
Sept 15, 2013
Photo: the folks that rode for our cause, Buster the
Bus benefit.
The Columbia Market is now open for business
again. We now have a choice as to where
we want to shop.
This week has been
a busy week with me attending three Eastern Star stated meetings. On Tuesday,
September 11, Priscilla Kennedy, Madelyn Phinney, and I attended Machias
Eastern Star stated meeting at the Masonic Hall. On Thursday September 11, we attended our own
Eastern Star, Alcyone Chapter #71 stated meeting in Milbridge with 28 members
present. Those also included members
from Irene Chapter #97, Rumery Chapter #46, and Riverside Chapter #123. We enjoyed an Estarl supper before the
meeting. Then on Friday evening, I attended the Eastern Star meeting at the
Jonesport Masonic Hall.
Carroll and I
attended the 15 Annual MDI Garlic Festival in Southwest Harbor for the first
time. We listened to the Chris Humphrey Big Band performing classic big band
Jazz, featuring tunes from Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Buddy
Rich and Frank Sinatra. While we were
there, we visited with some relatives who own the Smuggler’s Den Campground
where the festival was held.
Huddy Peterson of
Harrington is now home from the nursing home.
I stopped by on Sunday for a short visit with her.
On Sunday, 10 motorcycles
met at Bayside Store in Milbridge for the Buster the School Bus robotic
fundraiser. The bus drivers, Clara Ann
Freeman, Lori Mathews and Ronie Strout, send their thanks for their
participation towards our fundraiser.
Sept 22, 2013
The High School
Cross Country team traveled to Lee Academy on Tuesday. I had never been there,
so it was a long trip for me. I parked right beside a cemetery so I got out and
looked and low and behold I found a couple of Worsters buried in there. I am not sure if any are related to us here
in this area but I know for sure that that some left Columbia and went to that
area years and years ago.
I forgot to
mention that a week ago when we were in Winter Harbor that we stopped into the
5 & 10 there. If you have not been to this store, you need too. They have a
selection of almost everything that you might need there. It is like stepping
back in time to the old 5 & 10 stores we use to shop at.
Later that day we
were watching the sunset at the Milbridge Marina and were surprise that a
wedding had just happen. I took a wonderful picture of the bride from the wharf
and later on found out that I knew the bride. So I want to congratulate Ashley
(Lyons) and Pat Hall on their recent marriage on Saturday September 14.
I have been
canning the surplus from the garden, the corn has come on, and what with me
freezing, canning and making corn relish I am up to my ears with it.
The cucumbers
finally started to produce a little bit at a time and my pickles for the winter
have all been put in the cellar on the shelves to eat when the cold wind blows.
Tomatoes are
ripening a little at a time, but that is okay as I have been making stew
tomatoes and salsa with the extra. The beans, broccoli and cauliflower have all
been processed to be eaten later. I hear that everyone else with their gardens
have been doing the same thing that I do. At least canning has not become a
lost art yet.
Condolences go out
to the families of Sheila Batson and Alice Worcester. Our prayers are with
these families.
Birthday wishes go
out to my husband Carroll V. Strout on September 29th.
Mark your calendar
for on September 29, Sunday the Pleasant River Fish & Game Conservation
Association will be having their Youth Field Day from 9 am to 2 pm at their
club house in Columbia with lots of activities for the youth.
On Saturday September 21, 2013 I
attended the Maine Genealogical Society’s Annual Family History Conference at
Jeff’s Catering in Brewer, Maine along with 125 other members.
The featured speaker was Laura
Prescott speaking on How the Internet
Makes Us Sloppy Genealogists, Placing Your Heritage in Historical Perspective,
Finding Your Military Ancestors on Fold3, and Treasures Within the Ivory Tower:
Finding Family in Academic Archives. Other speakers were Pamela Eagleson,
CG speaking on Divorce Records in
Genealogical Research and Judy Reitz spoke on Improving Your Use of FamilySearch.
Vendors and exhibitors were on
hand and we were able to purchase many genealogy material and books from them
at a reduce cost. One vendor Ruth Monsell, Fine Art Portraiture of
Damariscotta, Maine did silhouettes during the day, which was interesting to
see.
During the conference I spoke with fellow members from
Auburn, Belfast, Presque Isle, Caribou, Ellsworth, Bangor and Brewer. One lady
was even from the State of Washington that attended the conference. I even won
a door prize for a year membership to the Maine Genealogical Society.
On Sunday Carroll and I traveled to Unity to the Common
Ground Fair. While there we were able to visit with our grandson Asa Washburn
who was there with his parents volunteering at the Fair. The day started out
with rain showers, heavy at times but then cleared off as the day went on. Not
as many folks were out on Sunday at the fair probably do to the weather but a
nice crowd anyway to get around with.
September 28, 2012
This week I was
contacted by a lady looking for information on the St. Pierre family that were
from Van Buren that I knew. She said that one of those leafs came up on her
ancestry tree telling her to connect with me. I not only had information to share with her
but gave her a phone number to call to connect with this family and also gave
her the family tree to go by. Small world when an unknown person contacts you
via the internet and you actually know more about their families then they do.
There is
still time to register for the 6 p.m. genealogy class on Tuesdays at
Narraguagus High School.
Guest at
our house Friday evening was Jan & Steve Morrison, Judy Sprague and Peter
Sawyer. We enjoyed great food and conversation way into the evening.
It is
that time of year to gather the apples off the trees and peel and core them for
the freezer. I will try to get enough put up to make a double batch of
mincemeat in my spare time this winter.
On Saturday
September 28 Toodie and Debra Dinsmore of Milbridge renewed their wedding vows
in front of family and friends at the Brown Baptist Church in Harrington. The
Dinsmore’s have been married for 37 years and lives in Milbridge. A lovely
reception was held at the VFW Hall in Harrington.
A thank you goes out to Tina
from Wesley that stopped to help my husband change a flat tire. My husband was
on his way to Bangor for a doctor appointment that morning when the tire went
flat. He really appreciated the help from this young lady and he made it in
time for his appointment.
On
Sunday we traveled to Camden Hills State Park and drove up the summit of Mount
Bettie where we saw panoramic views of lakes, woods and of course views of
Camden Harbor and Penobscot Bay. Many
other folks were doing the same thing as us. We then took a scenic ride through
the Town of Camden before we returned home. The foliage had not turned but as
we came closer to home we could see more reds and yellows popping out. Maybe
next weekend we can go on another excursion to see a different place to check
out the views.
I do know the foliage on Stillwater in Cherryfield has been
changing every week, as I take the students there to go canoeing and kayaking.
While I am waiting for them I have just enough time to take a quick walk.
This is a pretty place to get your exercise while enjoying
the ever changing seasons.
October 6, 2013
Last month flew by quickly, and now
here we are into October already. Somehow since school started I have been so
busy what with driving the bus but also trying to get the garden produce caught
up and canned. Tomatoes have ripened just enough to do a few jars at a time. I
will have plenty of those in my larder as well as the roasted tomatoes that I
did recently. My house sure does smell great when baking the roasted tomatoes
with the garlic and basil on them.
We have been gathering apples to put
in the freezer for the winter. I hope to get enough to make several batches of
moose mincemeat later this fall or early next year. Sometimes the surplus is
just too much to do now but by putting it in the freezer it can be done later.
The canoeing classes at Narraguagus
have been having some nice weather for their outings. I enjoy taking them
during the week.
Wednesday I traveled with the cross country team to Calais
and had a nice visit with another bus driver that was there for the same
reason. The foliage was at its height traveling 191.
On Thursday the Security folks that worked during the
blueberry season for Wyman’s met for a pot luck luncheon in Cherryfield. Dave Mathews thanked everyone for being there
and being part of the security team especially during the blueberry season.
On
Friday I picked up my order of Marafax beans for the winter. We surely will not
starve with all of our food put by.
On
Saturday Carroll and I traveled to Moosehead Lake to not only see the foliage
but of the area. We traveled to Rockwood, stopped to take photos of Mt Kineo, and
then traveled further up Route 15 to Moose River. Along the way we saw an
outdoor wedding going on at Maynard’s-in-Maine in Rockwood. We found out later
when we were having lunch at Black Frog Restaurant/lounge in Greenville that
the youngest Maynard’s son got married. While
we were having our lunch we saw the Katahdin leaving on one of their cruises.
Maybe next year we can take a cruise on the Katahdin when we again visit the
area. While we were in the area we ventured to Lily Bay Park to see the sights,
then on our way home we stopped in Guilford to view the covered bridge and I
took some more photos of the foliage reflecting in the water.
Another day
adventure ended with a lovely meal at Steve and Jan Morrison’s in Milbridge
where we had great food and entertaining conversation with Peter Sawyer, Judy
Sprague, June and Harry Rolfe. Another day adventure for us is over and on
Sunday it was back to working on the homestead and getting ready for a new week
to begin.
The
after school program EDGE starts this week in our schools for the year.
Don’t
forget the Lee Greenwood concert on Saturday in Columbia Falls and the
fireworks later in the evening. A large crowd is expected for this event.
October 13, 2013
The highlight this week was the
Wreaths across America, A Day of Honor & Remembrance Concert featuring
Lindsay Lawler & Chris Roberts, Ty Openshaw & Emma Gelinas, Higgins
Family Band, The Frye Mountain Band, Emerald Sky and Lee Greenwood at the Balsam
Valley Amphitheater in Columbia Falls, Maine.
The day began with Wreaths
across America traveling to Bar Harbor and removing the lights from the
Remembrance Tree there and bringing the lights to Columbia Falls. The families
of fallen from Maine gathered at the Wreaths Across America Museum before
traveling to the tree farm to tag balsam fir trees for deceased loved ones. The
day ended with the lighting of “The
Christmas Tree They Never Had” and
Lee Greenwood singing God Bless the USA
followed by fireworks.
I had the pleasure of meeting up
with another Facebook friend and scouter, Curt Slininger today and sitting with
him while watching the concert at the Balsam Valley Amphitheater.
On Thursday I attended an
Eastern Star meeting of Alcyone #71, in Milbridge with twenty members out.
Condolences go out to the families
of Paula Brann of Columbia and to Patricia Farnsworth of Addison.
Condolences go out to the family
of Florence (Worcester) Serpico of Saco, Maine and formerly of Columbia Falls.
Florence was the only female graduate of the 1936 class of Columbia Falls High
School. She was the daughter of Llewellyn and Susanna (Ingersoll) Worcester.
Congratulations to Angela and
Bruce Farren of Addison on their recent wedding in Hawaii.
Our grandson Asa Washburn of
Boston is visiting family in the area while his parents are on a trip.
Get well wishes goes out to Vern
French of Columbia and Preston Smith of Cherryfield.
Oct 20, 2013
Craft fairs are coming up in November, and here are two that need
to be put on your calendar.
A
Craft Fair/Luncheon on November 2, at the Addison Town Hall from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m. to benefit the Friends of the Church on the Hill.
On
November 10 there will be a Shop-A-Palooza at the Harrington Elementary School
to benefit the Parents Teacher Association Group.
One stop shopping for your favorite in home
parties as well as some local artists. Confirmed are The Pampered Chef,
Koala-T-Creations, Thirty One, Grace Adele hand bags, Tastefully Simple, AVON,
Scentsy, Celebrating HOME, Mary Kay, Origami Owl, Maine Coast Creations, Sugar
Witch Cupcakes and Cooking with Sam - Tupperware, Lia Sophia, Holiday Wreaths,
Open Skye Creations, How Sweet It Is and more surprises may be in store as
well. Get an early start on Christmas shopping and support your community at
the same time! This sounds like a wonderful idea for this group, I can hardly
wait to go to it.
Get well wishes go out to Tony
Cirone, Joan Bailey and Patricia Thaxter of Columbia Falls, Harriet Perry and
Carroll Perry of Addison, Geri Moore and
Verne French of Columbia and Preston Smith of Cherryfield. Prayers go out to
the family of Kendall Randall of Harrington.
On Saturday I traveled to Auburn to
an Eastern Star program with Priscilla Kenney Eleanor West of Steuben, Madelyn
Phinney of Milbridge, Lillian Lounder of Hancock and Barbara Redman of Ellsworth. Others that
traveled from the area were Jolene and Rick Farnsworth of Columbia Falls.
Sunday evening we enjoyed having
Peter Sawyer and Steve Morrison of Milbridge sharing a meal with us. As usual
good food and great conversation was had by all.
Our daughter Diadem and husband
Jesse Washburn have returned from a trip to Vieques, Puerto Rico. They were at
an island wedding of her best friend Kate Tierney and Kevin Lachapelle of
Ellsworth/Old Town who was married on October 19, 2013. By looking at the
videos and photos on her website, I can see that they had a wonderful wedding
with a lot of friends and family in attendance. Congratulations to you both!
Congratulations go out to Karmen Young and my son
Matthew St. Pierre on their recent engagement. We will be looking forward to
hear when they set the date.
Oct. 27, 13
The drivers of SAD 37 took a CPR course last week taught by Vicky Bailey of
Cherryfield and will also have a First Aid class this coming week.
The Phys Ed class has started hiking
this past week at Sprague Falls one day and then on Tunk Mountain another
day. The weather has been staying good
for the students to hike on the trails.
I stopped by for a visit with Huddy
Peterson one morning, to see how she was doing. Huddy loves to get visitors; it
is just like Grand Central Station some days.
Monday evening about twenty folks
turned out for the last presentation for the year at the Pleasant River
Historical Society held at the Addison Town Hall. Husband
and wife team, Bruce Dunham and Sheila Young gave us an update of the ship
Beacon Won that Dino Fonda had begun in Addison.
We have a few more 2014 Calendars
on Old Businesses in the Pleasant River area left for sale, they have sold like
hotcakes. We are now thinking about 2015 and might do one on Family Reunions if
I can get enough. If you have old photos taken when you got together with your
extended family, I would love to get a copy with names of everyone in them. I
am especially looking for ones in the late 1800’s early 1900’s of your
ancestors. If you have write ups of your reunion, that would be great to go
along with the pictures.
I am also looking for
information and more pictures on Schoodic in Township 18 when the boy’s camp
was there. A brochure was put out back then advertising the camp, if anyone has
one, I would love to borrow it to make a copy of it.
On Saturday afternoon one hundred fifty
Eastern Star members attended the Maine/New Brunswick Grand Family Exchange that
was hosted by Rumery Chapter #46 Jonesport at the Jonesport/Beals High
School. Congratulations to Dwayne and
Kim Smith of Columbia Falls who were initiated into the Eastern Star Order this
day October 26, 2013. A lovely meal was prepared by Richard Farnsworth III, of
pork roast, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy,
applesauce and yeast rolls. For dessert we had either chocolate or vanilla
pudding. The meal was excellent and very delicious.
Condolences go
out to the family of Audrey Look Luce (86) who passed away on
Saturday, October 12th in Winthrop, Maine. She was the youngest and
the last surviving child of Lester and Lillian Look from Columbia Falls. She
graduated from CFHS class of 1945. She was a resident of Readfield.
Audrey was predeceased by her husband, Rex Luce. She is survived by three
children and three grandchildren.
Condolences go out to the family
of Barney I. Smith Jr. of Cherryfield, he will be missed by his family.
Get well prayers go out to
Kendrick Randall of Harrington and Brandon Beal of Addison.
Congratulations to my nephew Quintin
and Tony Worcester of Florida on the birth of their daughter Artemis Lee
Worcester that was born at 4:39 a.m. on October 25, 2013 and is 6 pounds 8 oz,
and 19 inches long. Grandparents are Debra Burris of Texas and John Worcester
of Florida.
November 3, 2013
This coming Saturday evening November 9, the Narraguagus
Snowmobile Club will be hosting its first public bean supper for the season at
5:30 pm on the Ridge Rd in Cherryfield, Maine. If you have not attended one of
these you are missing out on a wonderful supper.
Here
is a reminder that on Sunday
November 10 there will be a Shop-A-Palooza at the Harrington Elementary School
to benefit the Parents Teacher Association Group.
On
Friday evening I traveled to Ellsworth with Madelyn and Charlie Phinney and
Rebecca Atwood to an Eastern Star meeting with Irene Chapter # 97.
The
Junior Band of Cherryfield and SAD 37 traveled to Jonesport on Saturday
November 2 to participate in an all-day practice with other schools in the
state and ending with a concert for the public in the late afternoon.
By now
everyone should have remembered to turn their clocks back for the winter. I
wish that we didn’t have to do this, as I like the daylight in the afternoon
instead of in the morning hours.
Remember
that it is now hunting season and to wear your orange when you are out and
about in the woods. My neighbor mentioned to me that I best be wearing an
orange hat when I am out as I have white hair that shows up quite well.
This week I was
contacted by Rick Denham from Midland, Texas and formerly of Hallowell, Maine
on Facebook who wanted to join our Washington County and Pleasant River
Historical groups; he is the third great grandson of Eunice Joy from Addison
and Seth Dyer of North Haven. He is
related to Raymond Joy’s family of Addison. Rick is the 13th
descendant of pilgrim Stephen Hopkins. He says he would love to connect with
‘family’ and where he has his Mayflower line done it would be easy to do yours
if you are in this same line. This is another great way through Facebook for him
to connect with distant family.
November 9, 2013
Picture of Veterans:
Friday at the
Veterans Day Ceremony held at Narraguagus High School four local veterans,
JoAnne Champney and Theresa Dempsey of Columbia and Fred Crowley and Lawrence
McManus of Addison were honored for their service to our country. Also
recognition was given to the late Kendall Beal of Milbridge for his service.
His sister Allegra Willey accepted the award for the family.
On Saturday the
DAR Hannah Weston chapter of Machias met at the Bluebird Restaurant in Machias
for their monthly meeting with fifteen in attendance. Those that attended were
Regent Carole Ann Sprague, Ruth Ahrens, Dot Hall, Jean Ingalls, Mary-Alice
Look, Barbara Maloy, Lisa M. Hanscom, Alexandria Hanscom Willey, Celeste
Sherman, Pamela Loughlin, Kathleen Bragg, Susan Dennison, Valdine Atwood, Ronie
Strout, and Debra Butler.
The next monthly
meeting will be held at the Chandler River Lodge for Tea at 1 p.m on December
14. Send reservations to Carole Ann Sprague as soon as possible.
The Pleasant River
Historical Society have a few left of 2014 on old businesses, 2013 calendars on school classes, 2012 on school houses and
classes, and 2011 of the fire in Addison in 1938.
I and many others
attended the Narraguagus Snowmobile Club’s first supper for the season on
Saturday evening. As usual there was good food and lots of conversations going
on with everyone catching up on the news of the area.
The Shop-A-Palooza
event that the Harrington Support Group held on Sunday went very well. I was
pleased to pick up a few items for myself and hope this will become an annual
event for them.
Get well wishes go
out to Brandon Beal and Harriet Perry of Addison.
November 17, 2013
Photo: Lumber Mill 1921, Machias Maine
I hear
that some of the hunters in the area are getting their deer; so far no one in
my family has gotten one as all that they have seen are a lot of does but no
bucks.
Condolence goes out to the
families of Jeff Bailey of Cherryfield and Ronald Grant of North Yarmouth this
week. They both are formerly of Columbia Falls.
Prayers go out to Sue Willey of
Cherryfield who is very sick. There is a lot of sickness in the area; I guess
it is that time of year where everyone catches whatever is going around.
On
Thursday evening eighteen Eastern Star members attended the meeting of Alcyone
#71 at the Masonic Lodge in Milbridge. Six members were from Jonesport and
Ellsworth. Following the meeting an ‘Apron” program was given by Grace Garrish
with help from some of the members.
The Craft/Food Sale at the
Columbia Falls Community building on Saturday went very well; we had a constant
trickle of folks come in to do some Christmas shopping. We had a good selection
of crafters there. I had to leave a bit early from the Craft Fair to attend the
Washington County Historical & Genealogical Society in Machias. Betsey Fitzgerald
was presented a panorama view of the 1921 Lumber Mill of Machias by Bill
Plaskon of Jonesport. Bill had taken three photos and photo shopped them
together. Others that attended the
meeting besides Plaskon and Fitzgerald were Valdine Atwood, Celeste Sherman,
Donald Woodward, Carole and John Sprague and Ronie Strout. We are planning on
July 19, 2014 a Genealogical Fair, place to be determined; other dates are
March 15 at Machiasport, May 17 in Machias and November 15 at Jonesport
for the regular meetings.
On
Saturday afternoon Carroll and I were among the many friends and family that
helped to celebrate Peter Duston 75th birthday at the Pines in
Milbridge. Peter’s wife Alice pulled this off quite well as he had no knowledge
of this. Many folks shared wonderful stories on how they had met Peter and
became friends. A great time was had by all.
November 22, 2013
The students on my bus got to see a cow moose in
Harrington this week as well as a lot of other folks that stopped and took
pictures of her. We see many deer on the West Side Rd. in Addison every day
including the piebald deer. Of course the hunters do too but they are all does
and with all of the ‘No Hunting” signs they are out of luck. . One day I
actually had to stop and wait for the deer to cross, they looked at me as if to
say they had the right of way, and of course they did.
My son Matthew St. Pierre got his deer this week, a 10
point buck, that weigh 231 lbs.
Get well wishes go out to Obbie Davis and Sheldon Crowley
of Addison. They both could use some cheering up.
A benefit supper for Sheldon & Donna Crowley is being
held on Thursday December 5 at the Addison Town Hall from 5 to 7 p.m. I believe
it will be donations at the door.
I have been visiting Huddy Peterson a few times this week
between my bus runs to cheer her up. It sure does make her happy to see me, and
I do so enjoy talking with her as well.
Happy birthday wishes goes out to my son Matthew St.
Pierre of Ellsworth, his birthday falls on Thanksgiving this year.
I had a nice chat with my son Zebadiah on the phone on
Friday evening; he is in California and had time to give me a call. We might
get to see him over the Christmas holidays if everything goes as plan.
The Chinese Auction at Harrington on Friday evening was
well attended; hopefully they raised a lot of money for the eighth grade class
trip.
I hope everyone will have a Happy Thanksgiving and don’t
forget the craft fair in Stueben on the 29th, the day after
Thanksgiving.
December 1, 2013
Thanksgiving is over for another
year, I was invited to my niece Sarah-Ann Hammond in Harrington for dinner as
my husband Carroll was at the hunting camp for the week. We celebrated our
Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday evening with our children, Michelle and David
McLaughlin, Zachary, Tiffany, and Konner Strout all of Harrington, Matthew St.
Pierre and Karmen Young of Hancock. Our other two other children I spoke with
on Thanksgiving Day, Diadem in Boston and Zebadiah in California.
On Thanksgiving Day, Konner and
his mother Tiffany Strout served desert at the St. Joseph Church in Ellsworth
for the needy. Konner said he really liked doing it and wants to do it again
next year. We are so proud of him and he did a real good job so I am told.
Come and
visit Santa’s Living Room at the Columbia Fire Department on Sunday December
15, 2013 from 2 to 5 p.m., Route 1, Columbia, Maine. If you want a picture with
Santa, bring your own camera. For more information contact Mary Beth Ward at
483-9756
Get well
wishes to Obbie Davis and Carroll Perry both of Addison and Molly Woodsum of
Addison/Winterport. Molly is now at her home recuperating in Winterport.
Condolences
to the family of Brandon Beal of Addison who passed away on December 1, 2013,
his family and friends will miss him.
I
am looking for photos of Civil War men that served from the Pleasant River area
to do a calendar for 2015 for the Pleasant River Historical Society. 2015 is
the last year of The Civil War Sesquicentennial and it would be nice to do it
on these men. If you don't have a photo
with the uniform on that is okay, I will still use the picture of them anyway.
I need at least 12, if I get more than will use as many as I can. The area includes
Centerville, Columbia, Columbia Falls, and Addison. If I don’t have a picture I
will use cemetery stones in their place. Names/pictures of ones I already have
are: Joseph Worcester, Sidney Tucker, Moses Worcester 3rd (stone only),
Algernon Worcester, Asa T. Worcester, Fonze Green Hill Leighton, & Harrison
Smith. I am thinking that I could use a picture and a short write up on their
service on each month. You can contact
me via e-mail at roniestrout@yahoo.com
or call me at 207-483-4374.
December 8, 2013
Don’t
forget to take your children to visit Santa’s Living Room at the Columbia Fire
Department on Sunday December 15 from 2 to 5 p.m. Route 1, Columbia, Maine. A
reminder if you want a picture with Santa, please bring your own camera with
you.
Get
well wishes go out to Obbie Davis and Sheldon Crowley of Addison.
Condolences go out to the
family of Kendrick Randall of Harrington who passed away over the weekend.
On Friday evening Priscilla
Kennedy and I attended Eastern Star Irene Chapter #97 in Ellsworth along with
thirty other Star members. Refreshments and a gift exchange followed the
meeting.
On Sunday we took a ride up to
Columbia to the Farnsworth Road to see how the house that is being rebuilt by
Paul Favolise was going. It looks nice and it looks like it is about the same
size as the old one that had been there.
On our way there we noticed that the old White barn in the Beech Woods
has been demolished and cleaned up. This barn has been ready to fall down for over
thirty five years that I know of, it was a historic landmark to me; I will miss
seeing it as I ride through the Beech Woods. We spied the weather tower that has gone up
recently just before the Beech Woods on Cecil Gray’s land. Things are sure changing
in the town and when you least expect it.
I was glad to see in the news
that the sheriff department tracked down the person that tried to rob the
Milbridge Pharmacy a few weeks ago.
On Sunday we attended the 2nd
Annual Christmas Exhibit at the Cherryfield Academy Community Center,
Cherryfield, Maine. We saw many nativity
scenes, lighthouses, trains, love bugs, angels, villages, logging history,
bears, snowmen, a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, patriotic displays and a
ceiling display of visions of sugar plums. This was a wonderful way to start
the Christmas spirit off with visiting this exhibit. So much was going on this weekend that I had
wanted to see and do it all, but alas it was not to happen, I could only do a
few things.
December 14, 2013
Photo: Lucille LeRue newest member
to Hannah Weston Chapter DAR
On Saturday afternoon nineteen members of Hannah
Weston DAR chapter met at Chandler River Lodge in Jonesboro for a Christmas
Tea. Those that attended were: Ronie Strout, Roberta Hammond, Arlene Seavey,
Valdine Atwood, Barbara Maloy, Ruth Ahrens, Carole Sprague, Theresa Farnsworth,
Jean Ingalls, Holly Davis, Mary Alice Look, Celeste Sherman, Nicki Carter, Pat
Hall, Lisa Hanscom, Kathleen Bragg, Pam Loughlin, Mary Vesta Scott, and Lucille
LeRue. We welcomed our newest member Lucille LeRue to the Daughters of the
American Revolution at the Tea.
On Thursday
evening I attended Eastern Star in Milbridge and again in Jonesport on Friday
evening. Not many members in both chapters were out due to the cold weather but
we still enjoyed the meeting and fellowship.
Get well
wishes go out to Eddie Cirone of Milbridge, Carroll Perry and Obbie Davis of
Addison.
I heard
that the benefit dinner for Eddie Cirone of Milbridge on Saturday had a great
turn out to it. He is still in the hospital. Cards may be sent to Ed Cirone, Room 385 Kelly 3
Ward, EMMC, Banger, Me. 04401.
On
Saturday evening the Addison Volunteer Fire Auxiliary sponsored their annual
senior citizens banquet & Christmas party for all senior citizens of
Addison and their guest. My husband and I attended along with our grandson
Konner Strout of Harrington. Konner was the youngest that attended the dinner,
no one was recognized as the oldest, but several folks that could come close to
being the oldest of Addison that attended were Donald Grant, Lennox Ramsay and
Cecil Rockwell. The meal consisted of roast turkey and ham and all the fixings
as well as pie for dessert. Everything was delicious and a big thank you goes
out to this wonderful organization.
Konner
Strout our grandson spent an overnight at our house this weekend while his
parents were Christmas shopping. We watched some Christmas programs while he
was here.
The
weather has gotten colder and our stoves are going full force, the wind blew hard
during our snow storm this weekend but we stayed warm inside. Even our cat
Jasper did not want to go outside, he is not use to snow where he came from.
Belated
birthday wishes go out to my son Zebadiah Strout on December 11. Birthday
wishes go out to Kevin Ramsdell and Blake Wright on December 16, Beecher Hart
on December 17 and to my daughter in law Molly Strout who has a birthday on
December 23.
December 21, 2013
Photo: Mary Farnsworth at her retirement
party
The
professional bus drivers of SAD 37 and Cherryfield met at Scovils Millside
Dining for lunch on December 18 for a gathering to celebrate the Christmas
Holiday. Those that attended were Lori & Dave Mathews, Ronie & Carroll
Strout, Fred & Nancy Prince, Mike & Tracie Peterson, Darlene Stubbs,
Dawn McManus and her grandchildren Emily and Landon, and Patricia Thaxter.
On the
afternoon of December 18th, a retirement party was given to Mary
Farnsworth at the Addison Town Hall. Many
folks came out to wish her well on her retirement and we will definitely miss
seeing her at the office. Best wishes and prayers go out to her on her up
coming operation.
Christmas
vacation is upon us, the students will have elenven days off, they will return
to school on January 2.
Birthday
wishes for Stephen O. Plummer on the 24th, Michelle McLaughlin on 25th
and Ruberta Plummer on the 26.
On
December 19, the Harrington Elementary School had their Christmas Program with
the students singing Christmas songs; we of course went to see our grandson
Konner Strout and his classmates sing Mister Santa.
On Friday
all the students in SAD #37 had their Christmas Party at school. Thank goodness
the weather was good as in other years a snow storm canceled these parties.
Huddy
Peterson of Harrington was able to get out on Thursday for her doctor
appointment. She had a good checkup so she said.
I spoke
with Molly Woodsum of Winterport and Addison, and found that she is improving
every day from her hip operation.
Maureen
Healy formerly of Columbia Falls and Narraguagus Estates has recently moved to
Connecticut to be near family. I am sure all of her friends will miss seeing
her.
Have a
Merry Christmas.
December 27, 2013
I guess most of the news this week is on the Ice Storm of
2013, everywhere I have been this week, I hear talk of power outage. On Sunday
night December 22 the whole Ridge Road here in Addison lost power as well as
many other roads in Addison did. The road is still undergoing changes as more
tree limbs break off and land on the wires. We all talk about the outage and
what happened to us during it but have you been out riding around and seen the
beauty that was left behind? Now that the snow has come and covered more of the
trees it really looks like a winter wonder land.
Many
friends have been posting pictures on facebook of beauty in amongst the
devastation of the storm. We all can find something good to come out of this
storm even if it is in pictures of beautiful scenery left from the storm. Families
have spent time together without the distraction of electronics in their
lives. Life does go on without
electricity.
We all
should send a thank you to our Hydro Company for working so hard to restore
power as quickly as they can.
Condolences
go out to the families of Robert Pray and James Hearn Sr. of Addison, Corinne
Stanwood of Milbridge and Ruby (Grant) Rogers of Corinth.
Get well
wishes to Carroll Perry, Obbie Davis, Megan Smith of Addison, and Joe Sproul of
Cherryfield are just some that I know of.
Christmas
Eve we were guest at the home of Parris and Sarah-Ann Hammond in Harrington.
Christmas
Day was a quiet day at home for us as our children were all doing their own
thing this year. We will be having our Christmas meal with the children on
Sunday the 29 when they can all be here.
On
Thursday we traveled to Bangor for an eye appointment for Carroll, this gave me
a chance to do some needed shopping that was not Christmas related. We enjoyed
a meal at the Olive Garden before we returned home.
On Friday
I drove the Lady Knights to Eastport for their basketball game. The roads were
clear and the scenery was beautiful with the ice and snow on the trees
I checked
in with Molly Woodsum in Winterport and they are still without power and do not
know when they will be getting it. Let’s
hope everyone will have their power on by the New Year.
Birthday
wishes go out to my son Zachary Strout on January 6. Let’s hope it won’t be as
cold as it was on the day he was born.
Happy New
Year to everyone.
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